Preliminary Inventory of the Ocampo Family Papers

Francisca Rodriguez Ocampo was born to Teodoro Masón Ocampo (1841-1908) and Mariana (Rodriguez) Ocampo (1865-1943) in 1892. Mariana Ocampo was the granddaughter of Ramon Cevero Valencia (1853-1939), one of the founders of Wickenburg, Arizona, and his wife Andrea Galindre (1844-1911). Francisca was one of seven children, including Rita Rodriguez (1890-1891), Feliz Rodriguez (1894-1923), Dionisia Rodriguez (1896-1911), Teodoro Rodriguez (1900-1907), Eva Rodriguez (Ocampo) Ortega (1903-1991), and Marcella Andrea R. Ocampo (1907-1986).

Francisca Ocampo married José Franco Quesada (1875-1954) in 1918. Quesada was born to Pablo and Felecita (Franco) Quesada in La Paz, Mexico in 1875. He followed his two older siblings to California in the late 1800s. He learned English as his second language while in California and went on to become a professional vaquero in the Arizona Territory. José and Francisca Quesada had five children: Josefina Ocampo (Quesada) Alvarez (1920-), Dora Ocampo (1921-1998), Alicia Otilia (1923-), Bernardo Abram (1925-), and Eugenio Reynaldo (1927-2011).

Francisca Ocampo's sister Eva married Ben L. Ortega (1908-1985) and the couple had four children: Feliz Beraldo Benjamin (1930-), Irene Mercedes (Ortega) Hershkowitz (1932-2001), Daniel Valentin (1933-2000), and Maria Ana (Ortega) DeHart (1941-2003).

José and Francisca Ocampo stressed the importance of education to their children, each of whom graduated from the Wickenburg public schools and later attended Arizona State College. The Ocampos were also instrumental in establishing Wickenburg's first public school, the first St. Anthony Padua Catholic Church, and the first Wickenburg Town Library in addition to creating a number of financial and other opportunities for the advancement of Mexican Americans.